Responsibility
by Bittersweet Blossom
Summary: The night Annabeth breaks up with him, Percy ends up at an unknown bar, going home with an unknown girl. However, years later, that one night comes back to haunt him in the form of a 4 year old girl and the new-found responsibility of parenthood. Pairings undecided, post Heroes of Olympus.


**Okay, so I've been thinking about this one for a while. Percy centric, pairings undecided, so suggestions welcome. **

**Disclaimer: not mine. **

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"Maybe it's time we end this, Percy."

When Annabeth uttered out those words with a frustrated sigh, Percy's brain refused to continue working. It just ceased any and all thought process, before finally, one thought entered his head: no.

"No, no, _no_," Percy whispered harshly, his breathing slightly irregular. "We can't… I can't…this isn't…"

End it? End them? After three years, she just wanted to break up? So what if it was their umpteenth fight in the last week? They couldn't just end it, not after everything they had been through together. They just _couldn't_. She always had his back and he always had hers, wasn't that enough? Percy loved Annabeth, wasn't _that_ enough?

"Percy," Annabeth sighed, running a finger through her golden curls. She looked… she looked almost defeated, her motions lacking their usual vigor. "It's for the best. Can't you see, we're… we're not meant to do this."

Percy had to wonder how Annabeth could come to such a stupid conclusion. Wasn't she supposed to be the rational one? Wasn't she supposed to… couldn't she see that there was no way breaking up could _ever _be for the best?

Percy's thought drifted back to his conversation with Aphrodite years ago, wondering when exactly the goddess of love decided to abandon him. He cursed her silently; when were the gods ever on his side?

"I…" Percy stopped. He couldn't even form proper words, much less anything that would convince her to stay. Annabeth was stubborn, even when Percy was thinking properly enough to fight her decisions.

She looked him in the eyes and he could tell it's what she wanted, to be free. Free from him, their relationship, from all the stress that had built up between the two in the last few months… and so he let her go, even if every bone in his body told him not to. Percy had never really been good at not giving her what she wanted, anyways.

Percy looked at her one last time and realized how much she had changed over the last month. Her hair had lost most of its shine, not being the healthy, almost glowing gold it used to be. He eyes were also duller, flat from all their fights. Her posture was defensive, even if there was no way Percy could ever hurt her. But thinking over his relationship with the daughter of Athena, maybe he already had.

"Fine," he breathed out. "We… we're done, I guess."

The son of Poseidon glanced up at his former girlfriend, immediately hurt by the look of relief that had taken over her face, leaving no room for the sadness that usually came with breakups. Percy briefly wondered if she felt anything for him anymore, or was he now just a mistake in her eyes?

He decided he didn't care. Percy turned around; the atmosphere suddenly suffocating. He needed to leave and he needed to leave _now_. No goodbye, no last kiss; he just wanted to be gone.

Soon he found himself running to the door, leaving it all behind. It was his apartment, but Percy didn't care. He needed to be gone, out, away from there. Away from it all as it threatened to overwhelm him. Percy couldn't even bring himself to feel ashamed, but when was he ever one to run from his problems?

He wound up in bar, somewhere in New York. It was shady and smelled damp and rotten and half the drinkers there were under the age, himself included. But Percy didn't care; he just drank and drank and drank, trying to forget.

(Vodka left a strange burn in his throat, but it was nothing compared to the ways his limbs itched with the need to _do something_ and the way his entire body felt heavy. Even if he wanted to get up and leave, Percy doubted he'd be able to.)

Of course, that's all he could remember from the night: drinking. But that sure as hell wasn't all that had happened.

The next morning Percy woke up in a bed that was distinctly not his in an apartment that was distinctly not his. He had a severe headache (no doubt the first signs of being hung over) and wasn't wearing any clothes. It wasn't too hard to put the pieces together of what happened. Percy tried to feel anything for his actions; surprise, mortification, satisfaction, but all he could focus on was the pounding in his head.

He couldn't even bring himself to care who the girl was.

Glancing around the room, Percy noticed his clothes strew across the room, discarded without the slightest care. Percy's eyes flashed towards the door; he half expected someone to walk through any moment. The son of Poseidon jumped up from the bed and gathered his clothes, redressing in the process.

Percy sprinted out the door and then passed a living room and then a kitchen. His ADHD brain picked up on the smallest details, working in overdrive despite the lack of threat. He noticed how the apartment was slightly messy and obviously only housed one person.

Noticing a note on the counter that was address to him, Percy didn't even bother it a second glance; he just ran from the apartment, all the while trying to forget the memories that flashed through his mind.

_A petite redhead approaching him, a flirty smile brightening her eyes..._

_A cab ride to an unknown apartment; stolen kisses and wandering hands…_

_Disapproving gray eyes, staring back at him…_

Percy shuddered. Once back at his apartment, he pulled a bottle of vodka out of his fridge, not bothering to grab a glass.

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**It's short, but more of an introduction/prologue type chapter. Reviews and suggestions always welcome. Thanks. **


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